25 Powerful Images That Encapsulate The Devastation In New Orleans Post-Hurricane Katrina

A microscope has returned to New Orleans – the city forever changed ten years ago by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The category five hurricane began on Aug. 23, 2005 on its way towards Florida and strengthened on its second landfall in southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29.Eighty percent of New Orleans was submerged as distraught citizens were seen on live TV pleading for assistance. Approximately 1,833 people died and hundreds of thousands were left without their homes, clothes, family heirlooms, and more.

The government and former President George Bush was heavily criticized for a slow approach to helping victims of the tragedy. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, arrived in New Orleans days after the hurricane had already wreaked havoc.

Lives were also lost at the chaotic Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where many found refuge during the storm.

The broken levees forced 30,000 people into the dome, and many died from exhaustion. The images plastered across our television screens in 2005 painted a desperate portrait of the victims, but also shed light on an economically broken city and exposed the U.S. government’s lackadaisical response to the plight of its very own citizens.

1. Governors Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi declared states of emergency, and advised many to leave their homes on Aug. 26. With little preparation, many stayed behind to fight the storm and were left stranded.

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2. A family is seen trying to escape the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in the days it wreaked havoc in New Orleans.

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3. Over 30,000 were left without their homes and possessions because of the hurricane.

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4. The National Guard and UNICEF arrived in New Orleans days after the storm arrived in its worst hit area, the Lower Ninth Ward. In the nation's history, this was the first time UNICEF was called to provide aid in the United States.

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5. Approximately 1,833 deaths were reported in the wake of the hurricane, but with no real memorial or list of the victims, many believe the number is much higher.

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6. Former President George Bush was slammed for his delay in providing relief to the city, leading to an outburst from Kanye West, who stated the president did not care about Black people during a live telethon.

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7. For a week, 30,000 people took shelter in the Superdome, where they were given food and water. With limited medical help, reports claimed 100 people died, when only four died from exhaustion, another from an overdose, and one from an apparent suicide.

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8. More than a million housing units were destroyed during the storm. Half of them were from Louisiana.

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9. Because of the storm, half of the city's population dropped from 484,674 in April 2000 to 230,172 in July 2006.

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10. The difference in flooding was shocking to residents. While tourist areas were left undamaged, some places received one foot of flooding and others up to 10 feet of flooding.

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11. The majority of relief funds sent to New Orleans by George Bush ($120.5 billion) went to emergency relief ($75 billion), not rebuilding.

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12. Private insurance companies provided a total of $30 billion to residents, a lot less than federal aid provided.

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13. A reported 600,000 households were still displaced a month after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

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14. In the four days after the levees broke, 140 premature babies were brought to the Woman's Hospital in New Orleans.

16. While the city lost most of its residents after they were forced to relocate, a slight growth was seen in the city. In 2013, the Census Bureau reported a 2 percent growth (8,827 people) in the metro city area.

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17. 11,494 fewer Whites live in New Orleans due to the storm, but the biggest loss was the African-American community, with 99,650 less. The numbers were not only from the storm, but encompass between 2000 and 2013.

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18. From the Salvation Army: "@salvationarmyus continues to be a source of hope, stability, and service to the residents of the Gulf Coast 10 years after #hurricanekatrina. #doingthemostgood"

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19. From photographer Paul Conrad: "Father Jim O'Bryan of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Pearlington, Miss., gives his sermon Sunday morning October 2, 2005, one month after #hurricanekatrina . The church lifted off its foundation and floated to the middle of the road during the storm surge from Katrina. Work crews destroyed the remainder of the church when they cleared route 607 of debris."